Readings in Definition of Secondary Source

Harvard Library (2020) explains that

Philippine History
Secondary sources were created by someone
who did not experience first-hand or participate
in the events or conditions. Sources, which were
Chapter 2: Historical produced by an author who used primary
Sources sources to produce the material.

Lesson 1: Primary Source VS EXAMPLE

On the subject of the Philippine
Secondary Source
Revolution of 1896, students can read Teodoro
Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses: The Story of
PRIMARY SOURCE VS SECONDARY Bonifacio and the Katipunan published
SOURCE originally in 1956.
In the study of history, historians
give interpretations of the past by investigating
historical sources. No interpretations, however,
shall be accepted unless it is supported by
evidence from the examined sources. Historical EXTERNAL CRITICISM VS INTERNAL
sources may refer to everything, written or not, CRITICISM
that may tell something about the past. These Both primary and secondary sources are
sources are generally classified into primary and useful in writing and learning history according
secondary sources. to Otis College of Arts and Design (2020).
However, historians and students of history
Definition of Primary Source need to thoroughly scrutinize these historical
Healey Library (2020) states that sources to avoid deception and to come up with
Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand the historical truth. The historian should be able
accounts of a topic, from people who had a to conduct an external and internal criticism of
direct connection. These are sources produced the source, especially primary sources which
at the same time as the event, period, or subject can age in centuries.
being studied.
Being able to identify primary sources
EXAMPLE from secondary sources is the first step of the
If a historian wishes to study the historical method. Historical method refers to
Commonwealth Constitution Convention of the process of probing primary sources that will
1935, his primary sources can include the be used in writing history. This includes source
minutes of the convention, newspaper clippings, criticism which includes the external and
Philippine Commission reports of the U.S. internal validity of the sources.
Commissioners, draft of the Constitution, and
even photographs of the event.
According to Gilbert J. Garraghan and Jean
Delanglez (1946)
 EXAMPLE
When was the source, written or unwritten, Japanese reports and declarations during
produced? the period of the war should not be taken as a
External Criticism
historical fact hastily.
Where was it produced?

By whom was it produced?

From what pre-existing materials was it

produced?

In what original form was it produced?

Internal Criticism
What is the evidential value of its contents?

KINDS OF REPOSITORIES OF PRIMARY

SOURCES
Establishing the reliability of primary
Definition of External Criticism sources is vital in studying history. As students,
Determines the authenticity of sources it is equally important for one to identify the
by examining the physical characteristics - date, various kinds of primary sources as used in
locale, creator, analysis and integrity of the different avenues. This lesson presents the
historical sources. This information must be classification of primary sources and the
consistent with each other. It means, for obtainability of each.
example, that the materials used in a source
must match the time and place when it was 1. Published Documents
produced. - It is intended for public
distribution or use.
EXAMPLE Take note: Readers must comprehend
The quality of the paper, the type of the not just the substance of the document but also
ink, and the language and words used in the the background of the author, as it may be
material, among others. written based on the author’s perspective.

EXAMPLES
Definition of Internal Criticism Newspapers, magazines, books, reports,
Determines the credibility of the source. government documents, laws, court decisions,
It studies the content of the source to know its literary works, posters, maps, and
truthfulness. For a source to be valid, its content advertisements.
and context must be reasonable and historically
precise. 2. Unpublished Documents
- These documents are confidential
and are restricted from public use
 like personal letters, which are in with 400 titles on various aspects
the possession of the recipients. of Philippine History.

EXAMPLES  National Library of the Philippines

Diaries, journals, letters, wills, and other (Pambansang Aklatan ng Pilipinas)
personal papers that are not published. - It was established by a royal
decree on 12 August 1887 and
3. Oral History named as the Museo-Biblioteca de
- Traditions and histories or stories Filipinas. The NLP has one of the
transferred through generations largest collections of materials in
that may tell us something about various forms in the country
the past. Sources of this kind are covering around 1.6 million
those that come from people who books, manuscripts, newspapers,
have actually witnessed or theses and dissertations,
experienced past events. government publications, maps,
and photographs.
4. Artworks and Artifacts
- Visual documents that tell us ● National Museum (Pambansang
several views of the past from the Museo)
perspectives of creators. - Operates the National Museum of
Fine Arts, National Museum of
EXAMPLES Anthropology, National Museum
Drawings, paintings, sculptures, of Natural History, National
photographs, and artifacts. Planetarium and other branch
museums around the country. Its
collection covers fine arts,
Primary sources of Philippine history are archeology, ethnography, and
placed in several repositories around the natural history.
country. Some of these places are the National
Archives, the National Museums, and other
local government repositories.

● National Archives of the Philippines

(Pambansang Sinupan ng Pilipinas)
- Organized under Republic Act
No. 9470 passed on May 21,
2007.
- The NAP holds about 60,000,000
archival documents with the
Spanish Collection comprising as
estimated 13,000,000 manuscripts
from the 16th to 19th Century